Do you drink kombucha? I’ve seen it mentioned here and there over the past year, and when my CSA offered a class about it, I decided to learn more. I love tea — black, green, herbal, caff, decaf — I drink it all. How could I not be interested in a fermented tea drink?
Taking a class made me feel more confident that this is a really easy process. Tasting different brews gave me an idea how different tea leaves and brew time affect the end product. I was also glad to learn kombucha has a low pH, so I don’t have to be concerned about botulism. (Remember when I worried about that when I canned apples?)
Everyone in class left with a SCOBY (Symbiotic Colony of Bacteria and Yeast) to start their own batch of tea. (That’s mine pictured above.) I’m brewing in a one gallon glass container and mine has already started to grow into a stereotypical round mushroom-looking mother. I guess that means I’m doing it right!
I have to say I’m a little nervous about this, like when I made yogurt for the first time. In a world that’s so anti-bacterial, it’s weird to invite it into your home and into your food.
What do you think about kombucha? Ever heard of it before? Do you buy it at the health food store? Brew it at home? I’m curious!
p.s. Here’s a sneak peek of my current knitting project.